This recipe has been UPDATED to fix the over-firm issue that many have commented on. Thank you, everyone, for your input—this community wouldn’t be the same without you!
The Impossible, Made Possible
Panna cotta is a creamy Italian molded dessert traditionally made of milk, cream, sugar, gelatin, and fruity or chocolatey flavorings. To make a vegan panna cotta recipe, we’ll skip the gelatin since it’s not vegetarian-friendly. Instead, we’ll swap it with agar agar (a super cool gelatin replacement made from red algae)! I love to flavor this sweet treat with tangy raspberries, but stick around to the end for some extra flavor ideas! (Did someone say mango, lemon, chocolate, and strawberry?! Yum!) Even though the completed dessert looks totally gourmet, it’s actually an unbelievably easy dish to make. You’ve got to try it!
Grab These Ingredients
You’ll only need 4 base ingredients for this vegan panna cotta recipe!
Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk will form the bulk of the panna cotta base. We’ll boil it to achieve a nice, thickened texture. Sugar: To give this dish a sweet kick, we’ll use some good ol’ sugar! Powdered Agar Agar: Agar agar is tasteless and works wonderfully in place of gelatin here! This gelling agent gives the dessert its jelly-like texture. (We’ve also used it in orange creamsicle vegan gummies!) Vanilla Bean: Vanilla bean paste from whole vanilla beans adds a sweet, creamy flavor to this dish. (Here’s how to cut and seed vanilla.) Raspberry Topping: Raspberries make the perfect zingy yet sweet topping! We’ll combine them with more sugar, lemon juice (to maintain their brightness), and water.
Making Vegan Panna Cotta Is So Easy
Panna cotta has a reputation for being a high-maintenance dessert. But the truth is, with easy-to-follow instructions, this vegan version is quite simple!
Try These flavors!
Panna cotta comes in a ton of flavors and variations. We used raspberries for this recipe, but here are some additional ideas for you to try out! Berries: Not to sound biased, but raspberries (or any berries for that matter) taste absolutely fantastic with vegan panna cotta. You could also try strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries! Whatever you choose, follow the directions as laid out in the recipe card. Mango: For a mango panna cotta dessert (YUM!), use one cup of mango (either fresh or frozen) with the lemon and sugar and cook as listed above (skip the water). Feel free to puree before cooking for a smoother texture. Chocolate: For a classic chocolate vegan panna cotta, melt 3 oz (½ cup) of dark chocolate, then whisk it into the coconut mixture after cooking. Lemon: Lemon is a perfect summery option! After cooking the coconut mixture, remove from heat and add 3 tbsp lemon juice and the grated zest from 2 lemons. Do not include the vanilla bean. Strawberry: Last but not least, though you can use strawberries following the “berry” guidelines above, you could also incorporate strawberries into the panna cotta itself. For the latter, omit ½ cup of coconut milk. After cooking the coconut mixture, whisk in ½ cup of pureed strawberries.
